Summer of no fans at baseball games hurts local businesses

Restaurants surrounding Sahlen Field are hurting during a summer of no Bisons games.

FEWER CUSTOMERSAT BARS ANDRESTAURANTS NEARSAHLEN FIELD.GILAT MELAMEDLOOKS AT HOW THEYARE ADJUSTING.UNION PUB IS JUST ASTONE'S THROW AWAYFROM SAHLEN FIELD."IT'S BEENCHALLENGING NOTHAVING BASEBALLACROSS THE STREETFOR SURE."BASEBALL MAY BEBACK.

BUT FANSAREN'T.UNION PUB GENERALMANAGER JAYMEDYNSKI SAYSBISONS GAMES BRINGBIG BUSINESS.FANS WOULDTYPICALLY COME INBEFORE, DURING, ANDAFTER GAMES.AND OPENING DAY.WAS TYPICALLY ONEOF THE BUSIEST."HUGE BIG PARTYATMOSPHERE PEOPLEARE HERE BOY BRIGHTAND EARLY IN THEMORNING LOOKINGFOR A SPECIAL SEATAND JUST ANXIOUS TOGET ACROSS THESTREET AND KICK OFFTHE SEASON."TIM BOLAND'S BEENGOING TO BISONSGAMES FOR MORETHAN 25 YEARS."YOU GET HERE ACOUPLE OF HOURSBEFORE THE GAME."BETWEEN DINING ANDPARKING.

HIS FAMILYOF FOUR SPENDS."PROBABLY ABOUT$200 BUCKS, BUT YOUKNOW THAT'S WHENWE'RE BEING ON THEEXTRAVAGANT END.BUT YOU DON'T HAVETO SPEND A FORTUNEYOU CAN COME DOWNHERE $25 A PERSON.100 BUCKS."THE SPENDINGPOWER OF PEOPLEGOING DOWNTOWNSTRETCHES BEYONDBASEBALL SEASOGOING DOWNTOWNSTRETCHES BEYONDBASEBALL SEASON."THIS IS REALLY ANEVENT BASED AREABETWEEN THEBISONS, THE SABRES,CONCERTS,EVERYTHING THAT'SGOING ON BY THEWATERFRONT, NOTHAVING ANY OF THOSEACTIVITIES CREATES ACHALLENGINGLANDSCAPE FOROURSELVES AND ALLTHE LOCALBUSINESSESDOWNTOWN."THE BLUE JAYS DEBUTIS BRINGING BACKSOME BUSINESS.MEDYNSKI SAYS THEYBOOKED A LOT OFDINNERRESERVATIONS FORPEOPLE LOOKING TOGET CLOSE TO THEACTION."WE'RE GONNA WATCHIT ALL ON TVTOGETHER, YOUKNOW IT'S A WHOLEDIFFERENT WORLDRIGHT NOW SO WE'REGONNA MAKE THEMOST OF IT."WHILE CUSTOMERSCAN STILL GET BEERFROM THEDECORATIVE BISONSTAP.

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